How a Hugo Chavez Attack from Clinton Camp Pulled in $1.2M for Bernie Sanders

With Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) overtaking Hillary Clinton in some polls, the Clinton camp is finally starting to hit at the “inevitable” candidate’s challenger.

Correct The Record defines itself as “a strategic research and rapid response team designed to defend Hillary Clinton from baseless attacks.”

Led by Clinton ally and Media Matters for America founder David Brock, the super PAC has been coordinating with Hillary’s campaign and spying on Sanders’ and Martin O’Malley’s campaigns.

The crux of the super PAC email? Bernie’s a socialist — something the senator has been proud of for a long time.

The Huffington Post reported on the email earlier this week, which outlines similarities between Sanders and new Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and tied the senator to late Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez because of Sanders’ support for a 2006 bid by Chavez to win favor with poor in the U.S. by providing discounted heating oil. Sanders worked on the project with former Rep. Joseph Kennedy (D-Mass.).

The Sanders camp lashed out at the “ugly,” “negative” campaign and said that since the story broke two days ago they’re raked in $1.2 million from donors — with an average donation of $23, at a rate of 180 contributions per minute.

The senator will thank supporters in an email tomorrow “for standing up to ugly, negative campaigning.”

“I hope that sends a very clear message that the American people are sick and tired of politics as usual and negative campaigning,” Sanders writes.

“Frankly what the Clinton Super PAC is doing is nothing new. It’s the same-old, same-old negative politics that has gone on for years: throw mud and hope some of it sticks. We are fighting for a different kind of politics. Instead of hurling dishonest or out-of-context charges, we are trying to run an issue-oriented campaign – focusing on the most important concerns of the American people.”

Sanders hasn’t really gone after Clinton, and tells supporters he wants to have a debate over issues “but let’s not throw mud and continue playing the political games that have turned off millions of Americans.”

Clinton chuckled when she was asked on CNN this evening about Sanders’ poll rise.

“Polls are going to go up, they’re going to go down. I’m very confident and very comfortable about our strategy. I feel that our campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire, all the early states, and now we’re moving on to the states that come after, are really coming together well,” Clinton said.

“I’m excited by the level and intensity of the support that I have. So I always thought this would be a competitive election. I’m looking forward to it. This is an important job. This is the most important job not only in our country, but in the world. And people have to fight hard. They have to make their case and they have to earn the votes of the American voters.”